Where to list car?

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic changed just about everything a few years back, and the used car market was no exception. During this time, used car sales soared all over the U.S., as people were more sensitive to the cost of buying new cars and also looking to avoid mass transportation.

Nowadays, the used car market remains a viable source of income for private sellers and used car dealerships -- even if total sales have leveled off just a bit.

There are a million different reasons you might be thinking about selling your car, whether you're ready to trade it in for a newer model or looking to start driving a more eco-friendly option.

Nowadays, you've got a lot of options when it comes to how to sell a car. Gone are the days of putting an advertisement in the classified section of your local newspaper!

What are the best online car selling sites? Let's look at 12 of the most popular places to sell your car online.

There are several reasons that AutoTrader is popular with both buyers and sellers. For buyers, the advanced search tools make it simple to find what you're looking for. For sellers, some of the listing package options come with a money-back guarantee, meaning that if you don't make a sale, you won't be charged.

Another thing that makes AutoTrader one of the best websites to sell a car is that you can sell it to a dealership or receive an instant cash offer. AutoTrade can be useful if you're more concerned with selling your vehicle fast than squeezing out as much profit as possible.

Not that long ago, most people you run into would find buying or selling a car on eBay pretty appalling. These days, however, it's become incredibly normalized to do so.

Are you trying to sell your car locally? If you are, eBay Motors is one of the best places to sell a vehicle. It's also a good option if you're already familiar with how to go about selling things on eBay.

It's simple to set up online car sales listings on eBay Motors. When you're making a local listing, there isn't any fee. If you want to list your vehicle nationally, it'll cost between $60 and $125. Learn about how transport works for selling cars on eBay here.

One of the downsides to using eBay Motors is that the bids aren't binding. This means that the buyer who won the bid on your car can back out at any time, for any reason.

When you think about how to sell a car online, Craigslist might be one of your first thoughts. Craigslist has been around for just about forever, initially starting as an email distribution list in 1995. It's come a long way since then, with listing sites in 70 different countries.

If you're looking for one of the best websites to sell a car locally, Craiglist is an obvious option. It is a great way to create a listing rich with photos to create the outcome of a low-to-no-stress sale. For those selling locally, you don't have to worry about coordinating the logistics of car transport and payment.

However, Craigslist doesn't give you a national audience like other online car sales websites. That means it might take longer to sell your car, depending on the make and model and your location.

The location has a lot to do with how long it will take to sell your car locally, as well as the demand for the vehicle.

Where some fears pop up in the general psyche about how safe it is to meet strangers online to sell items, especially when they involve large amounts of cash, there are ways to ensure you're as safe as possible.

When interacting via Craigslist, plan out your meeting place in advance. Pick a public location and bring a friend with you. In some areas, police stations encourage people to meet in their parking lots so that everyone involved feels safe and protected.

(Are you buying a new car? Learn everything you should know about depreciation here .)

If you're looking for the best way to sell a car online, check out Cars.com. This site remains the gold standard when it comes to auto sales online. The reason for this is that, since their listings are so widely syndicated, their inventory is humongous.

When you sell your car online through this website, you can list for free or expand your reach with a paid option. Your listing might also be syndicated on one of their other websites, which include NewCars.com, PickupTrucks.com, and Auto.com. On top of that, it can get listed on their affiliate sites.

Through this site, you also have the option to sell your car quickly to a dealer. If time is more important than money, this is a reasonable option.

One of the downsides is that such an inventory creates more competition, and it's harder to make your vehicle stand out. Unless you're selling a model in high demand or have high-quality photos that will intrigue potential buyers, you might find it hard to get your vehicle the attention you feel it deserves.

Are you looking for car selling sites specializing in collectible and classic cars? Hemmings is the spot for you.

Hemmings is one of the most popular sites for classic car enthusiasts. When you make a listing, it has the potential to reach millions of prospective buyers. This site is a bit different from the others, in a good way, because the people who visit the website are super into cars and usually know what they're looking for.

When you sell a classic or collectible car through this site, you'll deal with someone who understands your car and its auto transport needs. This can be a weight off your shoulders compared to some of the annoying potential interactions with people buying a carthey know nothing about for practical reasons.

On CarGurus, it's free to make a vehicle listing. However, when selling your car on the site, you'll be charged a flat rate of $99. Regardless of if you sell your car for $500 or $50,000, you'll be out $100 on the deal.

On this site, there are somewhere around 20 million buyers per month. One of the reasons that this site is popular with buyers is that every listing is assigned a "deal rating." Each listing states whether this is a "great deal" or "overpriced."

As you can imagine, this is quite a helpful feature for buyers but a disincentivizing one for sellers. If you know how much your car is worth and don't want to budge, CarGurus might be a frustrating place to sell your car online. You may find that one of these other sites will be more suitable for marketing your vehicle.

When you start thinking about how to sell your car online, Facebook Marketplace might be one of the first things that pop into your mind. If you plan to sell your vehicle locally, listing it on Facebook Marketplace is a reasonable place to start.

One of the best things about Facebook Marketplace is that nearly everyone in your community, or at least a lot of them, are already on Facebook. In fact, as of 2019, the Pew Research Center reported that 69% of American adults say they use Facebook.

Making an ad on Facebook Marketplace is also very easy. If you already have a Facebook account, you're halfway there.

It's free to list on this great site. You also have the opportunity to look at the profile of your potential buyer to get a sense of whether or not they seem legit and whether you'd be comfortable meeting them for a test drive.

With many of these online marketplaces, it's worth knowing that there are quite a few flakes to look out for. Anyone who's ever sold something on Craigslist or even given something away for free has probably dealt with their fair share of no-call no-shows.

TrueCar has traditionally been a site for buyers. Filled with information analyzing comprehensive and timely pricing information from a variety of dealers (and then publishing it in an easy-to-digest format), TrueCar's mission is to make the buying process more transparent.

With all of this available information, it creates a scenario where buyers can approach TrueCar Certified Dealers with certainty and confidence.

It is also a strong resource for sellers.

However, this is one of the car selling sites best used by people whose biggest priority is selling their cars fast.

On this site, you can get a True Cash Offer -- an easy process where you can get an offer right away before heading to a Certified Dealer to cash out.

Carvana is a site where you can sell cars and trucks fast and not have to deal with delivery or transport. It is also a site where buyers can buy a vehicle and have it delivered right to them. If you're trying to get rid of your car in the most convenient way possible and quickly, this might be an option that suits your needs.

Where is the best place to sell your car? Well, as you've probably figured out, that depends on what is most important to you.

If you want to squeeze out the highest dollar amount for your vehicle, places like Carvana and Vroom probably aren't your best bet. However, if you value convenience and speed in this process, these sites might be just what the doctor ordered.

On this site, you can enter information about your car and receive an offer in 30 minutes or less. If you choose to accept the offer they make, they’ll come to pick up your vehicle and direct deposit the payment right into your bank account.

CarMax will submit an offer for your vehicle online, but you need to go to one of their stores for an in-person appraisal to complete the sale. As with Vroom and Carvana, you won't get as much for your vehicle as you might sell through other means. This is because they are buying your car to sell it again, and you are presumably accepting a lower price for convenience and time-saving.

If you're an auto enthusiast and looking for the best place to sell a car to like-minded people, check out Bring-A-Trailer. This site features a huge selection vehicles, from rare antiques to souped-up sports cars. It costs $99 to make a listing, but buyers pay most of the fees on this auction site.

If your vehicle is vintage, this is one of the best sites to sell your car. This website gets a lot of high-quality traffic, meaning that the people who go there are often actively looking to buy.

The market size of used cars is projected to reach USD 1,969.72 billion by 2028. One of the reasons second-hand cars are in demand is the exponential financial recession that's shrinking the market for newer vehicles.

This means you’ve got a good chance of selling your car and getting some good money from the sale. And that's especially true when you work with one of the best used car sites in the industry. Finding the best places to sell your car is a bit of a task, in and of itself. Lucky for you, we've broken things down into three simple steps!

You can sell your used car for top dollar with the right information in your corner. Below are factors that affect your car's resale value.

If you'd prefer to do a one-on-one transaction when you sell a used car rather than sell a car online, limit your risk and conduct the sale in a way that safeguards you from loss.

The smartest way to sell a car privately is to conduct business with the buyer at their bank. This way, you can ensure they have the needed funds. Also, don't give up the title for the car until you receive the full payment. If the transaction is pending through a third-party service like PayPal or CashApp, wait until the funds are deposited in your account before you hand over the paperwork.

The best place to sell your car for maximum profit is usually through a private sale. Via a private sale platform, you can control the cost and terms of a deal while cutting out much of the broker and listing fees associated with car selling websites.

However, this comes with a caveat. It's harder to sell a car privately than it is to sell a car online. And you miss out on the perks of online selling, including the potential that the site could pick your car up for free and deliver it to the purchaser. And if you can't negotiate or find a buyer willing to pay top dollar in a private deal, you might have to find other places to sell your car when all is said and done.

The best places to sell a car for a huge profit depend on your car and situation. As we said before, selling a car privately allows you to maximize your earnings with limited overhead. However, what happens if you can't find a viable buyer or a deal worth your time?

That's where car selling websites like AutoTrader come in to save the day! You'll have access to more potential customers, and you might be able to get close to top dollar with luck. Some online services will even contract a trucker to pick your car up for free. When you sell a car privately, you often have to facilitate your car shipping through a provider like Nexus. And that will cut your overall profits or add to the overall cost for a prospective buyer.

Today, the best places to sell your car offer instant cash offers in minutes and let you list and sell your vehicle from your couch. Online dealers like Carvana and Vroom can pay off your old loan with the sale and will even deliver your new vehicle if you trade in your old car.

Plenty of platforms will also let you privately put your car up for sale, and this may provide the best value overall. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s more important to have a painless transaction or to face some hassle but get a slightly higher cash value. We’ve investigated the best places to sell your car online and will run through our top picks below.

Considering factors like cost, platform, transaction support, customer experience, and industry reputation, we’ve ranked the six best sites to sell your car. Our top overall picks include:

These sites all provide instant cash offers for your vehicle. Some also come with private sales marketplaces and have tools for valuing your car and completing the right paperwork. Others give sellers the choice to drive their cars to specific locations to sell the vehicles in person.

Below are 10 places to sell your car that we’ll cover in-depth. The main distinction is between online dealers that buy vehicles directly and marketplaces that have private listings. Online dealers have hassle-free sales, but may not offer as strong a value as private party car buyers.

Our rating system applies to online dealers and car selling websites that purchase your car, not marketplaces for private sale listings.

We consider five factors when ranking online car dealers and websites: overall cost, platform, transaction support, customer experience, and industry reputation. We also conduct secret shopper research and consider customer review sentiment when rating companies.

Our list of the best places to sell your car includes online dealerships, car buying services, and platforms intended for private party sales. Let’s take a closer look at some top sites to consider.

Online offer: Yes

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: Yes

Another great option is to sell your car through Cars.com, which has a one-stop shop for offloading your vehicle. You can get an instant cash offer from the company’s dealer network, or you could try listing it for private sale. You can also research what your car is actually worth by using the market value tools found on Cars.com.

To get a cash offer, enter your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN), find its license plate number, or look up the make and model. After providing contact information, you’ll get an instant offer that you can redeem at a local dealer in the Cars.com network. At this point, you’ll need to visit a dealer location to finalize your vehicle’s sale or trade-in.

Online offer: Yes

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: No

Peddle is an online car buying site that operates in all 50 states. The company has a 4.7-star rating out of 5.0 from over 100,000 reviews on Trustpilot. Peddle only buys cars, so you can’t trade your current vehicle in for a new one with the provider.

To get an offer, simply describe your vehicle and its condition on the website. An offer from Peddle is good for seven days. If you accept it, Peddle will pick up your car for free and either hand you cash or a check. You may need to upload photos for a visual inspection if the offer is over a certain amount.

One unique thing about Peddle is that it focuses on old cars and even buys junk vehicles for car recycling. In fact, the company started under the name Junk My Car in 2004 and started up Peddle in 2011. Unlike Carvana or CarMax, there are no age requirements for vehicles and the company welcomes scrap cars.

Online offer: Yes

Trade-in option: Yes

Private sale option: No

After comparing multiple online car dealers, Carvana came out ahead of the pack in terms of convenience. We noted that Carvana supports you very well throughout the entire transaction. For example, when you use Carvana to sell a car, the company sends an inspector to your location and picks the car up for free if everything looks good. Carvana offers quick payment for your vehicle and can cover your remaining loan balance directly. You also have the option to drop your car off at a Carvana location instead.

When we compared direct offers from multiple websites, Carvana provided a middle-of-the-road offer. Other sites may give you better value for your used car, but Carvana’s easy process and reliable service are hard to beat.

Read more: Carvana sell my car review

Online offer: Yes, requires in-person finalization

Trade-in option: Yes

Private sale option: No

As you shop around for the best value on your vehicle, CarMax should definitely be part of your list. In our secret shopper comparisons, CarMax gave us the best value for our vehicle. While it’s worth getting quotes from multiple sources, indications show that CarMax offers competitive rates for used cars.

The downside is that you’ll need to bring your car into a physical location if you want to use CarMax to sell your car. The online offer is good for seven days, so during this window you’ll need to bring your vehicle in, have it inspected, and complete all paperwork. This might not be a viable option if you live far from a CarMax dealership.

You can sell your car outright or trade it in for another with CarMax. The company can pay your lender directly if you have a balance, and it offers trade-in options if you have negative equity.

Read more: CarMax sell my car review

Online offer: Yes

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: Yes

With CarGurus, you can get instant offers online in mere minutes. CarGurus works with a network of dealers that buy cars, but you don’t need to go to a dealership in person. You can sit back as CarGurus arranges the pickup for your car after you’ve accepted the company’s offer.

Like other companies on our list, CarGurus can pay the lien holder directly if you owe money on your vehicle. This includes transferring the car title from your lender to the purchasing dealership.

CarGurus has a highly rated platform that makes selling your car easy. You can either sell the vehicle directly to a dealer or list it on the CarGurus private sale marketplace. However, you can’t trade in a vehicle to CarGurus since the company connects sellers to dealers rather than buying cars itself. You may find dealers on the online marketplace that take trade-ins, but you’ll need to contact them directly.

Online offer: Yes

Trade-in option: Yes

Private sale option: No

Vroom is another online company that purchases vehicles directly. You can get an instant offer that’s good for seven days after providing basic details about your car. If you like the offer, Vroom will even pick up the car from your house for free.

The Vroom online offer tool may not work for all vehicles, however. If that’s true for your model, a specialist from Vroom will evaluate your car and promptly email you an offer.

You can also trade in your vehicle with Vroom. After you get an offer, simply shop Vroom’s online inventory and pick your desired replacement vehicle. If your state has a car sales tax, your trade-in value will reduce the sale value and save you some money.

Online offer: No

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: Yes

Now we’ll take a look at some online platforms for private sales. You can typically get better prices with private sales than when using an online dealer, but it takes more work on your part. Facebook Marketplace is one of the best places to sell cars locally if you don’t mind meeting up with strangers to allow for a test drive.

There’s no fee to list a car on Facebook Marketplace, and there’s no selling fee since you arrange payment with the buyer directly. It’s your responsibility to evaluate potential buyers, though, as you can sometimes come across scammers on the site.

The nice thing about private sales is that you can set the asking price based on the car’s value. Drivers can either wait until they get a top-dollar offer or negotiate directly with potential buyers. Most online dealers, on the other hand, won’t budge on their instant cash offers.

Online offer: No

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: Yes

With eBay Motors, you can advertise your car to prospective buyers across the U.S. The site charges listing fees of up to $79 depending on your chosen package but there’s no fee when your vehicle sells. eBay partners with a number of car shipping companies such as uShip to make shipping your car easy. You can choose to have the customer pay for shipping as well.

eBay Motors works best for selling the types of vehicles people would want to have shipped. Recent model year cars in excellent condition perform well on the site, as do classic and enthusiast cars. If you’re selling a basic vehicle with many miles on it, you might wait longer to sell. On the other hand, you can use eBay Motors’ local classified ad service to sell your car in town and avoid shipping it altogether.

Online offer: No

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: Yes

Cars & Bids is a private sale platform that specializes in nonvintage enthusiast vehicles. If your car model has a dedicated fan base, this may be the site to check out. You can sell enthusiast cars from the 1980s to the 2020s on Cars & Bids. Most buyers and sellers on Cars & Bids meet in person, though you can also choose a remote sale and ship your car to the buyer.

One nice feature about Cars & Bids is that it’s free to list your car. You also don’t pay any fees when your car sells. Instead, the buyer pays a 4.5% commission fee that’s capped at $4,500.

Online offer: No

Trade-in option: No

Private sale option: Yes

No list of the best places to sell your car would be complete without at least mentioning Craigslist. The site has been around since the dawn of the internet and remains a popular choice for vehicle shoppers. Craigslist charges $5 to place a vehicle advertisement, which helps to reduce the number of scammers on the site. However, you should still be wary of scams from illegitimate buyers when either buying or selling a car on Craigslist.

While the best places to sell your car come with a wide range of offerings, they can typically be divided into three types: online dealers, private sale platforms, and local car dealerships.

If you want to sell a car quickly and easily, try an online dealer service like Cars.com or Vroom. With websites like these, you can get a cash offer for your vehicle in the time it takes you to type out your VIN. Most of these dealers will buy your car remotely, though companies like CarMax and AutoNation require you to close the deal in person.

While a private sale could give you the best price for your vehicle, you can still get excellent quotes from many online dealers. Some dealers actually make more money on back end financing, and these dealers may give you a great price for your car. If you have a loan, many online dealers will pay your lender directly and offer you the difference.

Instead of selling your car to an online dealership or a car buying website, you can sell it directly to an individual buyer through Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. The main advantage of doing a private sale is that you can get the full value of your vehicle. An online or local dealer needs to resell your car, so you might not receive the highest possible price from them.

A private sale takes much more work than selling to an online dealer. Buyers need to trust that the vehicle information is accurate before they make a purchase. Because of this, you’ll want to have the following documents prepared:

To get more eyes on your vehicle, you can post the listing across multiple platforms and just remove it when the car sells.

You also must decide which types of payment you’ll accept. Cash and cashier’s checks are two common and secure payment methods for private sales. After the sale, you’ll need to transfer the title to the buyer, remove your old license plate, and cancel your registration with the department of motor vehicles (DMV).

Local dealerships make up the last category of the best places to sell your car. In this case, you could work with a name-brand dealer, like a BMW dealership, or a used car lot. How much you’ll receive for your car varies greatly depending on the specific dealership you get a quote from.

The main reason to use a local dealer is if you plan to trade in your car for a vehicle in the dealer’s inventory. You’ll get a better value on a trade-in car compared to an outright sale. Trade-ins also help you to avoid sales tax where applicable because you only get taxed on the remaining value of the new car after your trade.

Local dealers can also be convenient, as you’ll be working with a real person who can walk you through the process. This is something that many online-only dealerships cannot provide with only a phone number or an email address.

Our top pick for selling your car online is Cars.com, but you have options stretching from local and online dealers to private-sale marketplaces. We recommend that you compare offers from multiple companies to get the best value for your car.

Below are a few frequently asked questions about the best place to sell your car.

There are so many car buying and selling websites nowadays that it can seem like a maze, and with the 2021 used car market being what it's been this year, you'll want a gameplan before you start looking to sell or buy your next vehicle. So we'll walk you through some of the best used car sites for shopping right now, based on your needs.

I bought my 1998 BMW M3 convertible on eBay. Lesson learned: Make sure it's such a good deal that you're okay with any foibles undisclosed by the seller. So how do you know you're getting a nice price? Do an advanced search and look at the completed listings. You'll see what sold. Maybe even more important, you'll see what didn't.

Say you have a rare classic or awesome sports car, but it's time to sell. This might be the places. Bring-A-Trailer vets all the cars it puts up on its website before listing them, so this site is rife with enthusiast traffic. Cars tend to sell for high dollar amounts because of the site’s clientele. It’s auction-based like eBay Motors and the site takes $99 if you sell with its most basic package.

The Facebook Marketplace is one of the newest popular places to sell a car. All you need is a Facebook account and you’re ready to start listing for free. Your big advantage here is the ability to vet someone before they even come to look at your car. The potential buyer’s Facebook profile will be visible to you once they send a message, so it’s much more personal than the anonymous world of Craigslist.

CarGurus is said to be the most visited online car marketplace in the U.S. Listing on this site is $5. CarGurus has been around for a while now and their site looks a lot like the other big players. It’ll let buyers know about where cars stand compared to others on price, though, so be careful about your list price.

TrueCar is a great tool for removing the mystery of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). Say you want a new Chevrolet Silverado 1500. For that truck, TrueCar shows the most recent transactions on record that help you see what you should pay. Some savvy buyers paid much less than MSRP. You can also quickly ascertain that if you found a leftover model from the previous year, the average savings is much greater.

We all know the horror stories that come with Craigslist, where scams and suspicious schemes are all around. Still, the website can help you out big time if you know how to avoid the bad stuff.

The biggest advantage here is the price of entry: $0. You can make the post look however you’d like and include a ton of photos without paying extra. Selling a car locally is always easier, but that can also be a downside with Craigslist, since you’re missing out on most of the national audience unless someone searches outside of their area.

(You could also try AutoTempest, a great aggregator site that pulls together Craigslist car ads from beyond your area. I used it to locate and buy a truck that ended up being 800 miles away.)

A long-running standby in the online car selling industry, Autotrader is one of the most popular places to list a car. There’s no free option available for sellers, but the number of eyeballs your listing will get here should ease the pain of paying a small fee to sell. Autotrader has an easy-to-use interface that a huge number of buyers rely on, and that’s a reason to put it at the top of your list.

360-degree views reveal features and flaws. Most cars are delivered the next day, with a seven-day test drive. Not bad if you're looking to make a quick purchase.

Want to climb inside a Mustang and see what the red leather interior looks like without going to a dealership? Download the RelayCars app and strap on your favorite VR headset and have a look around. You can do virtual test drives, too.

This is how manufacturers would love to sell new cars, if dealer franchise laws allowed it. Vroom escapes those restrictions by exclusively selling used cars (albeit some with only a few hundred miles on the odometer), conducting the whole transaction online. You buy the car through their site, they handle the paperwork and deliver it anywhere in the lower 48. They’ll even give you a quote on your trade-in and pick up your old car when they drop off the one you bought. But what about the test drive? You’ve got a week, or 250 miles, to make sure everything you hoped it would be.

In the last decade, more people have turned to the internet to shop for cars. If you plan to sell a car, this might be good news. You can use an online platform to sell a used car, reaching thousands of people who are actively shopping.

You will reach the ideal audience when you know which websites to use to sell your car. Whether you're trying to sell a classic car or a used sedan you no longer need for your commute, these are some of the best sites to sell a car online.

Autotrader is one of the classic go-to resources for buying and selling used and new vehicles. One of the biggest benefits of Autotrader is you can reach many potential buyers by listing your vehicle on its site.

The website has name recognition that many other websites do not. If you want to make sure your car receives excellent exposure, Autotrader is a great place to start.

Another major benefit of using Autotrader to sell your car is buyers can receive a free vehicle history report. For many buyers, this guarantee of the car's history is crucial. Buyers want to be informed, and your vehicle with a clean history can make or break your sale.

Many sellers like Autotrader because the website makes it free to renew listings. While this website is one of the pricier places to list a car initially, you can keep renewing your vehicle's listing for up to one year.

The online car sales listings on Autotrader are also easy to read. You'll be able to post up to 30 photos of your car, so you can showcase your car's best features, sharing details if your car has selling points such as a great stereo or a new engine. Plus, the intuitive interface makes posting photos and completing your listing extremely simple.

While many people do not consider eBay to be a marketplace for vehicles, eBay Motors can be a useful tool if you want to reach local buyers. eBay makes the process of selling your used car just as simple as listing any other item on the platform.

Plus, it charges no fees for users to create a listing to sell locally. If you are willing to transport your car elsewhere, you can pay a fee to list your vehicle nationally.

One thing you should know about using eBay Motors to sell your car is it offers two options for selling your vehicle. If you choose to hold an auction, buyers will place bids on your car.

Though somebody might win the auction, you risk that person backing out before paying. This means you could find yourself in a situation where somebody no longer wants to purchase the car at the last minute. You might need to relist your vehicle.

On the other hand, you can opt to sell your old car at a fixed price. You choose your price and know exactly how much money you'll collect. If you are selling your car at an especially good deal, you could sell it much faster than on some other platforms.

When you create an auto listing on eBay Motors, you can choose to post up to 24 photos. You'll pay a fee, which varies based on the cost of your vehicle, to submit your listing. You can also offer your buyers a free vehicle history report, which could help you sell your car online more quickly.

You might have heard of Cars.com, which is another large platform for buying and selling vehicles. The website has a reputation for offering easy methods of buying and selling vehicles. It offers a large inventory, and buyers can use search tools to find the perfect car, fast.

One of the major advantages of using this platform is you can invite dealerships to make an instant cash offer on your vehicle as well. You can accept the offer quickly and receive cash for your car with very little effort. You might not get as much money as you would from a private party, but you can save yourself time and effort.

Sellers also like to use Cars.com because it allows them to make listings that can be syndicated on other websites. As a result, your listing will be placed on affiliate sites. You'll be able to reach a wider audience based on the target audience for the vehicle you are selling.

The biggest downside to posting your vehicle on this platform is the inventory is so large you might need to become more competitive to ensure buyers see your listing. This means you must take stellar photos of your car or offer a great deal if your vehicle is not in demand.

If you prefer a more traditional selling experience, CarMax might be the best option. CarMax has physical dealerships and can provide a quick offer for your car.

CarMax requires a license plate number or VIN as well as a location to provide an offer. Once you receive the offer, you have a time period during which you can compare offers from dealers and private buyers. When you take your vehicle to the CarMax location, you can finalize the offer, and the dealer will ensure the appraisal was accurate.

While CarMax does offer an online component for selling your car, it's similar to trading in your vehicle at a dealership. You might not get as much money as you would by selling your car to a private party, but the process is extremely convenient. The benefit of this platform is you don't have to worry about advertising your car or meeting with private buyers.

If you want to sell your car fast, CarGurus could be an effective resource. The platform is known for its search algorithm, which helps buyers find cars quickly. The platform also helps you price your vehicle so it might sell more quickly.

Using the online pricing tool is simple. CarGurus requires you to provide information such as the vehicle's VIN and mileage. You'll submit details about the vehicle's condition and receive an estimate right away.

This platform also makes it easy for dealerships to make instant cash offers on your car online at no cost to you. You do not pay fees until you sell your car. You can also have CarGurus pick up your vehicle so you don't have to take it to a dealership.

In fact, you can take care of all the sales documents on the web, ensuring you have to do very little to get your car to its new owner.

CarGurus might not be the best place to sell your car if you want to maximize profits, but it's a good place to sell a car fast if you're looking for a convenient sale. If you do use CarGurus to sell to a private party, you can ensure the transaction is secure thanks to the platform's helpful tools.

If you want to reach the largest local audience as quickly as possible, Facebook Marketplace is a good option. This platform helps you sell your car online easily, as it walks you through the process step by step.

Once your listing is complete, you can reach much of your community through the social network website. Facebook Marketplace is a free website for listing vehicles, and it's even simpler if you already have a Facebook account.

One major advantage of using Facebook Marketplace is you can look at the profiles of potential buyers. Looking at profiles can help you eliminate potential scammers and meet only with people who appear to be safe. If you are concerned about meeting a stranger to look at or test-drive the car, this can offer peace of mind.

You can also use Facebook to target a specific population, perhaps through private groups. For example, if you have a Ford Focus you'd like to sell, you can post your used car to a private Facebook group dedicated to Ford vehicles.

Some sellers report problems using Facebook Marketplace. For instance, the ease of browsing for items to buy on Facebook means you could run into people who are just window-shopping. They might set up an appointment to look at the car but fail to show up, wasting your time.

You should also be careful when using Facebook Marketplace because the platform does not offer protection for transactions. You must take care of the financial details on your own, which means you have no protection if a check bounces or a person lies about their information. You must vet your buyers carefully if you use Facebook to sell a car online.

Vroom is another way to sell your car if you're concerned about selling a vehicle to someone in-person. With Vroom, you can sell your car to the website and an employee will pick up your car and deliver it to a buyer.

Vroom requires you to fill out basic information about your vehicle before you get an instant cash offer. The offer appears quickly, often within an hour of submitting your vehicle's information.

Unlike some options, such as CarMax, Vroom takes care of everything online. You might not even have to leave your home to sell your car.

Keep in mind that Vroom will not buy every vehicle. If a car is not in good condition or is an old model, you might find yourself without an offer. You can also expect the quote you receive to be more in line with dealership trade-in offers than private party sales. The good news is you can get a direct deposit into your account from a reliable company, so you do not have to worry about dealing with cash or checks.

If you have a rare or classic car, you might opt to sell it on Bring a Trailer. This is a good option if you have a car worth a significant amount of money. You'll also enjoy this platform if you prefer the auction format of selling a car. You can allow car buyers to bid on your vehicle, potentially increasing the cash you'll get for it.

One advantage of using Bring a Trailer is that the website vets the car seller list. This means buyers can trust sellers, which makes them much more likely to follow through with a transaction.

In exchange for this vetting process, buyers must pay a fee to list a vehicle. In fact, those who use Bring a Trailer are often car enthusiasts who know their stuff. The vehicles are generally well-maintained and geared toward collectors.

You might have seen what looks like a large vending machine for cars in your city. Carvana offers an easy way to access vehicles for sale, allowing buyers to test-drive cars for several days. For many buyers, this is an incredibly convenient way to buy a vehicle. The good news is sellers can also benefit from Carvana.

Many people have been using Carvana to sell their vehicles quickly. If you do not want to deal with taking your car to a dealership, Carvana will take care of everything for you. Buyers choose to purchase your vehicle, you get paid, and the car is delivered to the new owner.

The biggest downside to using Carvana to sell your car is familiar: You won't get as much money for your car because you are dealing with a company managing your transaction. You are sacrificing profits to sell your car conveniently.

If you own a collectible car you'd like to sell, Hemmings might be the best option. This website specializes in rare and collectible cars, which means those who frequent the website are very familiar with the vehicles they're looking at.

If you want to sell to fellow car lovers, this platform is ideal. Rather than selling to potential buyers who are looking for the perfect deal, you'll be selling to the people who are looking for the perfect car.

Like some of the other websites on this list, Hemmings gives you the option to auction your car, create a listing for a direct sale, or post a classified ad. The fee for posting on the platform depends on the option you choose.

This website is one of the pricier options for listing a vehicle, but you'll connect with other auto aficionados and potentially make a sale in a niche market.

Craigslist might be less popular than it once was, but the platform is still an effective place to buy or sell a car. One of the best features of Craigslist is you can post a listing in a matter of minutes, complete with photos of your car. The listings are easy to read, and locals can easily check the page throughout the day to get the most updated car listings.

If you want to sell a car with very little stress, Craigslist makes that possible. The platform lets you list the car, but you will ultimately meet the buyer in person to complete the transaction.

This might be appealing if you are a fan of the old-fashioned way of selling a car. For others, this might not be as desirable, especially because many people find it more difficult to vet car buyers with this website.

One downside to using Craigslist is your listing is not going to get the same national pull it would on some other listings. You will mostly reach people in your area, which means it can take longer for your car to sell.

Additionally, the ease of access means Craigslist sellers might experience the same issue they face with Facebook Marketplace: scams and car buyers flaking on meetings.

The good news is selling a car on Craigslist is completely free. You do not have to pay to list your car, which means you can at least create a listing with little risk.

If you want to sell your vehicle online, there are a few things you need to know. While these websites offer a straightforward way to list vehicles online, you can make the process even easier.

If you want to sell a car quickly, you must know how to write an effective ad. While nobody wants to read a life story when they're looking for a car to buy, you might find it beneficial to provide background information about the car.

For instance, how many owners has it had? How long have you owned the car, and how well does it run? The buyer wants to know more than the basics.

Additionally, make sure you write the listing with proper grammar and spelling. Avoid writing in all capital letters. Posting a listing with mistakes might turn away some buyers.

If you want to make sure you get lots of clicks fast, take lots of photos of the car. Shoot the exterior from many angles, and ensure you capture the fine details as well. Show off the trunk, the back seats, the driver's seat, and the engine. Remember to remove your belongings first so the buyer can envision themselves in the car.

Some people choose to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of a car they want to sell. This can be an especially good idea if you are trying to sell a sports car, rare car, or collectible car. Classic car listings often benefit from interesting camera angles and playing with the background colors.

You might have an idea of what you think your vehicle is worth, but you should back up the asking price with factual information.

For example, you can use Car and Driver's car value estimator to find a price range you believe is fair. This will help you ensure the platform you use to list your car also recommends a fair asking price for your car.

When you sell a car online, you are often still meeting with strangers if you choose to sell to a local private party.

You might even be in the car with a stranger for a test drive. This means you must vet the people you are meeting carefully. Plan to meet buyers in the parking lot of your local police station to protect yourself.

When you list your car online, you might find you get a lot of last-minute requests to check out your car.

You never know when somebody will want to pop over and look at the car, so you might have to take extra care to ensure it is always clean from the inside out. Now is the time to go all out with a car wash, making sure you get your wheels and rims clean, too.

The trick to choosing which of these platforms is the right option for selling your car is to determine who is your ideal buyer.

For example, say you are trying to sell a classic Chevrolet Corvette in pristine condition. You would be less likely to list this car on Craigslist when you know the right audience is on a platform that focuses on classic car enthusiasts.

You do not want to catfish potential buyers about the condition of your car. Instead, make sure you are honest about how well the car runs or what kind of work it might need.

Some buyers are open to a car that might need work if they know the car's condition in advance. The same applies to getting an instant cash offer from a dealership, as your offer could decrease based on the actual condition of your vehicle.

If you want to sell a used car, you might be uncertain about whether the web is the best possible place to do it. You might wonder if your vehicle would make a better impression in person than online.

While posting your car online can help you reach a large, and potentially national, audience, you might have qualms about shipping your car a long distance. You might simply feel more comfortable securing a local sale.

There is nothing wrong with selling a vehicle in person, especially if you want to park your car somewhere public with a phone number written across the back window. This is an old-fashioned but effective method. You might be less likely to run into a major scam because you are catering only to a local audience.

Still, the internet has a lot to offer. You can reach a large audience, including local dealerships that might offer you a convenient way to sell your car quickly. Many of these websites also offer a secure way to complete the transaction, which prevents scams, bad checks, and other financial issues associated with auto sales.

That’s because prices for used vehicles have hit all-time highs recently. If you’re selling your car, using an online platform allows you to take advantage of the reach of the internet when listing your vehicle.

Autotrader is a website that specializes in helping people buy and sell new, used and certified used vehicles. The site is an excellent resource if you’re looking to sell or trade in your car, with many tips that can help you navigate the process. Autotrader is owned by Cox Automotive and is part of a family of brands that includes Kelley Blue Book.

If you’d like to sell your used car quickly and profitably, it helps if you expose your listing to many potential car buyers. Autotrader claims it’s the most-visited third-party car shopping site on the web and that it attracts more than 14 million qualified buyers every month.

A vehicle history report offers insight into a car’s background. If your car has a clean history, this report can be a valuable selling tool. A vehicle history report gives a potential buyer transparency into the vehicle’s past. Autotrader offers a free report with each listing, and this perk can help you enhance your listing in a cost-effective way.

You may have to renew a listing if your car doesn’t sell. With Autotrader, you won’t have to worry about facing a renewal expense if your car doesn’t sell right away. The site offers free renewals for up to a year if your car doesn’t find a buyer after 30 days.

Photos can be vital marketing tools when selling a used car. Autotrader allows you to include as many as 30 photos of your used vehicle with each listing, giving you plenty of opportunity to showcase your vehicle to potential buyers.

CarGurus launched in 2006 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded by Langley Steinert, who was previously the co-founder of TripAdvisor. CarGurus uses a proprietary search algorithm to help car shoppers find deals.

When selling a used car, pricing can impact the success and speed of your sale. Once you’ve provided details such as your car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN, mileage and condition, CarGurus can give an estimate of the car’s market value. That data can help you make an informed decision when pricing your car.

If you’re selling your car to a dealer and would rather not drive it to a dealership, CarGurus offers a solution. When using the site to sell your vehicle to a dealer, you can schedule a pick-up. You can complete the necessary sales documents online, and a driver from the dealership will stop by your home or office to collect the car.

CarGurus allows you to bypass the listing process and get a free offer from dealers. First, a potential seller should enter basic details regarding the car, such as its mileage and VIN. CarGurus will then share this information with its dealer network. The company claims it can get an offer for your vehicle in under two minutes.

Facebook Marketplace is affiliated with Facebook. This online seller has advantages that could be most helpful if you’re interested in selling your car to a private party.

Getting some background info on a potential buyer can be helpful before moving further along with the sales process. When potential buyers respond to your listing, you can visit their Facebook profiles to learn more about them.

Facebook users sometimes form groups to discuss topics that are of common interest to them. Facebook Marketplace allows you to list your car publicly to everyone on Facebook, but you can also post a private listing to one or more of the site’s groups.

A private group listing allows you to pitch your car to a specific audience, which can be valuable if you have a vehicle that’s popular with a niche group of potential buyers. For example, if you’re selling a used Mazda Miata sought after by collectors, you could use Facebook Marketplace to post a listing in a private group made up of Miata enthusiasts.

With Facebook Marketplace, there’s no cost for listings.

eBay is a site connecting buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets worldwide. eBay Motors is a branch of this website focused on car listings. This site offers various packages that allow you to include anywhere from 12 to 24 photos with your listing. Pricing ranges from $19 to $79 and is partially based on the selling price of your vehicle.

eBay Motors gives you different options for marketing your vehicle. With the auction-style listing format, buyers can bid on your vehicle with the sale going to the highest bidder.

The fixed-price format allows you to list your car at your chosen price, and the Best Offer feature allows buyers to submit their best offer in response to your selected starting price. Having these options available gives you flexibility in marketing your used car.

With eBay Motors, you get a free vehicle history report with each listing. You’re eligible for this perk if you’re a seller who lists less than seven vehicles per calendar year.

According to eBay, eBay Motors attracts 7.4 million unique visitors per month. eBay Motors claims the site sells a car or truck every three minutes.

Carvana is a company that buys and sells used cars. You can use the Carvana website or app to sell or trade in your vehicle directly to the company.

Carvana requires you to share details regarding your used car — such as the license plate number or VIN — to get the ball rolling on your sale. Once this information has been entered, the company claims it will extend an offer for your vehicle within two minutes.

If you’re selling your car, Carvana will schedule a vehicle pick-up at the time and place of your choosing. The sale or trade-in is finalized at the time of the pick-up. Carvana will give you the funds when collecting your vehicle if there’s a payment involved.

Carvana’s sales process gives you breathing room to research and compare other options. Once the company makes an offer on your car, you have seven days to accept. You can use this time to field other offers if you choose.

Meet the expert: Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader and spokesperson for Kelley Blue Book, has more than 12 years of experience as an automotive journalist.

“How you write the ad matters. Don’t write in all caps and don’t just list the basics. Tell the story of how great this car has been. Let the potential buyer see themselves in your car. Use lots and lots of photos. Before taking those photos, remove your stuff. Don’t take photos with your personal things in the car.”

“There are many car valuation websites — Kelley Blue Book is one. You can also browse cars like yours for sale and see what the price range looks like.”

“Make sure you use the selling website’s tools that make a potential buyer communicate with you through the site’s interface. Don’t give out your phone number or email address unless you personally know the person. Also, have a safe place to meet for the exchange of money or test drives if you’re selling a car yourself. Many police stations will let you use their parking lot for this purpose.”

• Step 1: Allow the buyer to have the car inspected by a third party.
• Step 2: Organize and gather all related vehicle documentation.
• Step 3: Odometer and Damage Disclosure.
• Step 4: Bill of Sale.
• Step 5: Transfer the title.
• Step 6: Fill out a Statement of Transaction and remove your license plates.